Presumed Guilty

“Stunning… Chemerinsky presents a damning indictment of the Supreme Court… As Chemerinsky declares, the court’s record ‘from 1986 through the present and likely for years to come, can easily be summarized: ‘The police almost always win….’ Aside from the fact that he writes well, Chemerinsky… is also an experienced advocate, having appeared before the court on many occasions, and also having served as a consultant to those police forces who either by choice or necessity have tried to overhaul their practices. He bolsters his argument with examples from his own experiences, and his telling of the cases always starts with the people involved… Chemerinsky details a number of ways state and local governments can and should reform police procedures without having to go to court. Whether the furor unleashed by Black Lives Matter will lead to state and city governments reforming their police departments is yet to be seen, but all lawmakers, in fact all concerned citizens, need to read this book. It is an eloquent and damning indictment not only of horrific police practices, but also of the justices who condoned them and continue to do so.” – Melvin I. Urofsky - New York Times Book Review“Opens our eyes to a critical reason that we continue to have problems of police violence and racism in law enforcement… Chemerinsky masterfully presents his arguments by tying together current events with major Supreme Court decisions that laid the foundation for those conflicts… My criminal procedure students know this to be true. They read another book written by Chemerinsky and his co-author that goes through the cases. In the future, they may be assigned this one as well… Years from now, Americans may ask, “Did anyone stand up to the Supreme Court and pull back the curtain?” The answer will be “Yes.” Chemerinsky did just that. Now, it is time for all of us to take a good look.” – Laurie L. Levenson - Los Angeles Review of Books“One of the foremost U.S. Constitutional scholars and Supreme Court analysts, Chemerinsky (dean, Univ. of California, Berkeley, Sch. of Law; The Conservative Assault on the Constitution) cogently demonstrates in this book that the court bears much of the blame for police violence and racism in U.S. law enforcement…. An insightful primer for understanding the judicial decisions that support the United States’ prevailing authoritarian, paramilitary, racist approach to policing…. A thoughtful, provocative, and instructive must-read for anyone concerned with justice and domestic tranquility.” – Thomas J. Davis, Library Journal, starred review“The veteran legal affairs expert offers a powerful attack on a judiciary committed to advancing the police state … [Chemerinsky] suggests that because the Supreme Court will not restrain the police, state courts can and should invoke state constitutions in order to do so.’ Necessary reading for civil libertarians, public defenders, and activists.” – Kirkus Reviews

Erwin Chemerinsky is the dean of the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. The author of Presumed Guilty, The Conservative Assault on the Constitution, and The Case Against the Supreme Court, among many other works, he lives in Oakland, California.